


A Boredom's prayer

by Anima_Lira



Series: Passing flow [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Even more Mockery, Still not so healthy relationships, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:27:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29142231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anima_Lira/pseuds/Anima_Lira
Summary: "What the hell are you doing?""I cut myself on a piece of the cup."As lifeless as ever, the white-haired replied, not even facing him, as he watched the wound on his finger heal again. It was almost tempting, but Bakura remained on his seat, only shook his head. Having the other around was not unlike one of the cats back then, quiet enough to forget their presence until something of value got destroyed out of no where."Stop that. Or I will make sure there is no blood in you to bleed out.""I would like to see you try."
Relationships: Bakura Ryou & Yami Bakura
Series: Passing flow [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2154198





	1. Chapter 1

Blood dripping to the ground in tasteless waste made him look up from the book he was facing himself through in surprise.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I cut myself on a piece of the cup."

As lifeless as ever, the white-haired replied, not even facing him, as he watched the wound on his finger heal again. It was almost tempting, but Bakura remained on his seat, only shook his head. Having the other around was not unlike one of the cats back then, quiet enough to forget their presence until something of value got destroyed out of no where.

"Stop that. Or I will make sure there is no blood in you to bleed out."

"I would like to see you try."

The answer was muttered quietly, not because the other didn't want him to hear, but because he couldn't be bothered to actually speak louder. Insolent brat. Bakura ignored it, focusing again on the damn piece in front of him that taunted him with every new word he had no idea of what it meant. He didn't know how to read in his previous life, being sealed away for an eternity wouldn't change that.

Then again, with how much was already going against his way, he would've actually appreciated being able to actually read this time; especially because the one whose appearance he had taken over seemed to be quite good at this murderous task. How ironic.

Again, blood dripped out of a wound, made him look up once more against his will.

"Did you cut yourself again?"

"It seems like it."

How had the other even managed to break his stupid cup- Right, that had been him. He must have broken it somewhere around yesterday out of spite. It didn't matter.

"Stop doing that. Get yourself another cup instead or something alike."

No answer came, his words were completely ignored. More blood. It went against everything he was now to see it wasted like that, made him want to grab the source and stop the flow. Maybe it had something to do with the creature he had become since he was released, maybe it was because it was this one, the one that should have been his in the first place, that made him want to jump every time the other was hurt in some way. Whatever it was in the end, it pissed him off greatly.

"Stop it."

"Why should I?"

If it was possible to sound smug while being completely apathetic, then the vampire was doing just that perfectly right now. He ignored it, looked down on the book once again. Why were there so many books in here anyway? Had the previous owner of this palace nothing better to do with his time? He would burn them all once he had found what he needed, no matter if the other would complain.

Vampires were able to summon servants, like spirits of the dead or werewolves, humans that had been cursed with immense pain for all time. Bakura liked those. Never ending pain sounded exactly what he was living through and what he wanted his enemies to live through - this was, if he would ever be able to go back. He doubted it. And even if he would fall for the face of the priest that was worn by this blood-brother vampire, having his revenge on him like this... just wouldn't be worth it.

Now, that the voice that had given him company for all this time had chosen to become silent at last, he was alone once again, still clinging to the golden ring it had left behind, continuing to wear it, refusing to ever take it off. He wouldn't. He would never take it off, because it was the only thing that reminded him of what he used to look like, of whom he used to be. Even when those white hands would become his own more and more, he would never lose his memories of what was real, wouldn't forget himself.

He turned a page, ignored the heart in his chest that was going faster and faster, wanting him to act already.

Vampires could summon spirits of the dead as their servants without so much as the flicker of their hand, due to the immense power that flew through their veins. The power came at a high price normally, as those creatures were forever abandoned by Ra, would never be able to walk beneath his eyes again till the end of time.

He liked the punishment that awaited those who tried, liked the pain that it would cause them. Though as wonderful as it was, it still left open the question as to why the other was walking beneath light anyway just like that. It didn't make sense, and the suffocating smell that had settled in the room wasn't helping at all.

This little piece of shit really wanted his attention it seemed. Fine, if he kept on asking him this persistently, he would just give him what he wanted.

He threw the stupid waste of paper to the ground, wordlessly stood up, made his way over to his look alike, grabbed the hand that was about to get cut by the sharp pieces again. He picked up the pieces, threw them out of the still broken window - the other had been here and because he wasn't keen of going transparent _again_ , he had joined him - before brushing aside the other's sleeve in order to bite into his wrist. If the fool had too much energy to come up with this stupid nonsense, he would just take it away in order to use it for actually important things.

There was no resistance to his doing, only bored red eyes that were watching him silently until he stopped. Reluctantly, because the blood hadn't stopped getting more and more tempting, as if it wanted to be taken completely, released from his host. Not unlike the necklace he wore above his heart, a mocking reminder of the need for someone else's blood.

"I told you to stop it, didn't I?"

"I heard you loud and clearly."

He wanted to take more, so much that this stupid face would twist in irritation and pain as much as his own did.

He also wanted to throw up all of this blood, until it had left his body completely, until he no longer had to think of the humiliation this brought over him. To need to drink the blood of someone - of _something_ \- this alike to a demon - it was a taunter, a mock created just for him so it could laugh in his face time and time again. It was a cruel joke of fate, because he had dared to demand justice where no one wanted to grant it.

He wanted to spit out every single drop of it. He let go of the now limb arm of the other, straightened up to take a look at him.

"Then learn to listen when someone tells you something. I will bring you another cup."

He left the room, hated how those eyes kept on staring into him as if they could see all of the struggle he was going through. It would suit a royal bastard like this one to actually be able to and just not bother to tell. Bakura made his way to the room where thousands of those stupid cups were standing, neatly ordered and full of dust, as if no one had stepped into here for a long while. Right, the other had always used the same one, so there was no need to get a new one. He wasn't sorry.

A vampire could summon a servant at the wave of a hand if they liked to, could bind said servant at rules they wanted, whatever that would be. They could make _slaves_ with the snap of a _finger_ , could wipe out whole towns within minutes if they so desired - his hand went to the ring around his neck, clenching it in a search of support that wasn't there anymore.

He was that strong too now. And for whatever reason, he hadn't been bound to any rules, seemed to be even allowed to act out like he wanted to without any consequences. In fact, his "master" was behaving, more like a smug god than a being that once had been human, with the way he treated him like everything he did was just that; another act of another being, no matter what. Ryou was as sly as he was apathetic, the cruel smile only betraying him when he thought no one was looking.

The white-haired was weird because of how he acted, but Bakura would use this to its fullest, whether he understood the motive behind it or not. It was fine like this. It would be not much longer until that human boy with skin like him would come back and give him the answers that he was looking for, until then he had nothing else to do but to make sure that the vampire whose face he wore wouldn't separate with him and wouldn't go and change his mind about his boredom. After he had found the answers, he would focus on what to do from now on.

He returned back to the room, put down the cup in front of the other, silently filling it with tea, before going back to his own stupid seat. He was still hungry, wanted more. His heart still hadn't calm down, was acting like it was considering going so fast it would just stop at any moment, probably made the vampire chuckle on the inside as he grabbed for the new cup.

The annoying disturbance was stopped with that - for now at least - and he could continue with his studies that seemed to challenge him to go outright insane along their guidelines, bit by bit.

"Have you read all of these?"

"Not all. Neither has my sire, he only collected them because he could."

That sounded just about right, a royal man acting out how he saw fit, because he simply could. No one would dare to raise their voice, even if it meant the slaughter of a whole population. Why should one? It was more comfortable to ignore it, to just look away.

"Why can you walk in the sun? I asked before and you dodged."

"I just can, there isn't anything about it."

"You are lying."

"Just because it's a miracle does not mean that I can explain it, Bakura. Maybe it depends on how someone is turned, perhaps it happens at will."

"Don't call me by that name. Are both of you able to go out during the day?"

"All three of us. And if-"

"Shut up."

Silence, distracted only by the sound of gulping from time to time, making him go mad bit by bit. He hated the silence, he had enough of that for the rest of time - provided that he would live that long. Silence meant madness and he felt the need to break it as soon as it had settled completely again. A horrible need, really. But he gave in anyway. "How were you turned then?"

Another sip of this stupid cup. He wanted to empty the whole can over the other's head, watch how the burning liquid would soak his hair and face, twist it in anger and pain. The cup was put down on the desk and the vampire faced him again.

"It just kind of happened. Seto had an accident and had to be turned, and after that our sire just asked if I would like to as well. He died soon after."

"That wasn't what I wanted to know." He hurried to interrupt the white-haired before the memories in his own mind could begin to take over. He was done with seeing them, was completely done with them. Ryou smiled at him, cruel and tired, shook his head.

"I was turned without feeling anything. After I agreed to become a vampire, our sire drained me and gave me his blood. There really is nothing more to it. How did you end up in that stone?"

"None of your business." So it really had been by choice. This creature was sitting here by choice, out of his own free will, surrounded by nothing but dust and books. Pathetic. And if he couldn't have his revenge, then _this event_ would remain a secret forever. But now that the white-haired had gotten curious, the smile only widened.

"Was it because you were a murderer who was to be punished? Or perhaps just some poor soul that had to be sacrificed for some kind of ritual that your master wanted to achieve? Perhaps it was-"

"I told you to shut up, didn't I? Maybe I should crush your neck so that you will remain silent for a while, boy."

No answer came this time, but it failed to calm him down, only riled him up more. He stood up and left the room, not bothering to tell the creature to where he was heading. He wouldn't tell, why should he bother? Even if he was leaving this place, due to whatever it was, he couldn't be apart from the white-haired for too long because it made him die, made him disappear completely. As if that too, was just a means to mock him, putting him at the damned noble's will like a slave after all he had done to be free of that at last. Destiny really seemed to hate him, out of her deepest core.

Bakura spent the time with wandering around in this place of never ending rooms, before falling asleep in one of them, angry, tired and cold. It was way too cold, as if the night was trying to claim him back by freezing him to ice. He forced his eyes close and ignored the nightmares that were waiting for him too in his sleep.

~...~

Ryou looked up from his book when the other didn't return after the sun had started to rise for the third time, carefully marking the page he had been on. (For some time now, he was actually starting to read again. It had become easier since the taste of things had returned to him.) What was taking the other so long? Normally he would have stormed back into whatever Ryou was in right now to demand something, be it blood, another trip or the answer to a question he wouldn't ask.

It had become a part of his life already, helped the time to pass by and held his boredom at bay.

He stood up. The other was probably sleeping, there was no real need to search for him. And he wouldn't, would just get himself another cup of tea. Or another can. Was he drinking more of it these days? Did it matter?

The white-haired made his way through the hallways, the goal in mind and yet no hurry to get there. The silence that surrounded this place was welcoming and boring hi, all the same. It was familiar, but he wasn't liking it anymore, as if something had changed, was making him reconsider everything. How odd.

He walked towards the kitchen, made himself tea, begun to make more sweets. He had run out of them, would need to make more. More, more, always more.

_"You are going to kill yourself with that sooner or later, lad. Now let me help you, it looks like fun."_

Sweets had always been something he enjoyed, whether it was because it made him forget or because it made him remember didn't matter. He kept on making them, got them onto a tablet once they were done and walked towards where the human who wasn't a human was right now. Bakura didn't wake up when he entered, didn't even flinch. The vampire considered if he should just leave again and leave the tablet there - but the desire to walk anywhere else had already left him, so he found himself sitting at the end of the bed, his cup in one hand, silently looking outside of the window and waiting for the other to wake up already.

Would he flinch away once he saw him, so close? Would he try to grab him so he wouldn't look like weak prey to him? Whatever reaction would come from it, it would be needed that he was awake for that first. The white-haired suppressed a sigh, waited. He couldn't remember when he had felt this... bored last.

When would the other wake up? He was tired too, even though he wouldn't even try to- Even if he wished he could. Just sleep until the end of time - though then he would have to make sure to pay his human in advance so that he wouldn't just die because he had decided being awake was boring.

"Hey."

No answer came, no chance, the other was breathing heavily, deep in sleep. He should have brought a book along or something like this. Maybe he should wake him up? No, that wouldn't do, he was sleeping that long for a reason after all. But god, if it wasn't annoying to just sit and watch. He did it anyway, watched the sun go higher and settle down again, getting so caught up in it that he forgot the presence next to him completely until a pillow was thrown at him.

"The hell are you doing in here? Get out."

"I don't want to."

"I don't care. Get out." Another pillow thrown, with more force, but he dodged, ignored the crack in the wall where it landed, shook his head slowly.

"No."

Silence, in which matching eyes stared at him in tired anger, before closing again as the other let his head fall back onto the bed and sighed. "I envy you, you know. I would do anything to not need to sleep anymore."

The words were spoken silently, made him want to ask things he couldn't have cared less otherwise. Things that he hadn't cared about before. He did not, just watched as the other slowly sat up after a while, taking a look at the plate placed next to him. "What is wrong with you?" A hand reached out towards the sweets, grabbing one of them carelessly as always, before beginning to eat like a madman, shoving them down one after the other. It was strange to look at himself like that, but it was more interesting than the silence and the books that were surrounding him in it.

"Are you hungry this time? Maybe your human side is still there."

"Believe me, it's not. I am not hungry, I want to throw up."

"Then why are you wasting my cakes?"

"Because it annoys you, as simple as that. Do you even have human food in here?"

"I do." Though he last had brought something in here when the blonde not-quite-human had stumbled upon this place. How long ago was that? Hadn't he still been a child back then?

"I don't believe you. And I don't care anyway. Those things are way too sweet."

"Then don't eat them."

He dodged the cake thrown at him, almost got sad when he saw it crashing against the wall as well.

"Shut up. Get lost already." It remained silent between them, until Bakura decided to get up, walked towards the door of the room, stepping onto the in cracks and dust covered pillow as if it was dirt.

"Get up, we are leaving."

"To where do you want to go?"

"Away from here. This place is a nightmare."

No it _wasn't_. "I don't-"

"I wasn't asking. Move or I will drag you along."

He stood up as well, considering if it was worth going. Well, he didn't have anything better to do, so he might as well. They left the castle quietly, moved away from the forest, towards the human town. Great. Ryou wanted to turn around again, but a hand had already grabbed his arm, not intending to give in. Why always the town? He had already seen it once, what more was there to find?

Though at least it wasn't so quiet in there, the sound of laughter and death filled everything, noise everywhere. Eyes landed on them, landed on _him_ and it still took effort to not grab the other and leave. The place would be better without the humans, but a quiet place was boring and didn't hold anything to it. It was tiresome to think about.

"Ey!"

He was dragged to one of the food stalls, the eyes of the other having found an unusual sparkle to them suddenly. It was amusing to look at, even if the human that was supposed to serve them food reached out to touch his hair instead. He had to remind himself that this wasn't dangerous anymore, that he could tear this hand apart and put it together, that he wasn't supposed to worry at all- He paid for the food the other was shoving down like manners were a word he hadn't heard of from where he came.

"I want more of this. Let's search for more of this."

"So suddenly you enjoy food?"

"If it's not yours. I won't eat the food a demon without any taste has made."

"I can taste perfectly fine."

"No, you can not. Was that thing you gave the man the means to pay in this place?"

He nodded, and the whole purse of coins were grabbed and ripped out of his hand, as the other dragged him to the next place to eat, dragging even _more_ attention on them than there was in the first place.

_"Take the other with you."_

_"What happened?"_

_"I'm sorry, I'm-"_

It wasn't amusing at all. But it was better than being bored, so he endured it, forced himself to not panic, no matter how often someone reached out or talked to him. Why would they talk to him?

Some of them were better than others, made him wonder if he could take these with him home. It would be a better place than the one they were at right now for sure. Or maybe not, it wasn't his place to know. And a mob wouldn't come as well, since the disappearance of the group was still hanging over the town, wouldn't be forgotten for the next decades, not even when Malik was no more. So staying around them maybe was better than waiting until they came to him this time. After all, the mind of human seemed to change more and more.

"Ey, you."

"What?"

"Eat something as well."

"I don't need to."

"I don't care."

A bowl was roughly placed down in front of him. "Eat." He ignored it, not lifting a finger. He had no desire to eat the food of humans anymore, anything but sweets had already lost the appeal to him over time. "Eat it yourself. You seem to enjoy it."

"I want to grab your head and smash it into the bowl with the way you're talking."

He looked up at the other, waited for the threat to be carried through. When it wasn't, he shifted the bowl over to the other, had to suppress a smile when the eyes narrowed. But the gaze didn't last long on him, soon shifted towards the man who was serving other humans at the moment. His face twisted into a smirk.

"Or perhaps you want something different, your highness? Should I bring one of them home for you instead, to make sure you don't collapse in near future?"

If they were heard or understood at all, then the others were doing their best to ignore them. He slowly shook his head. "I don't need-"

"Then eat."

They spent the time like that, going (willingly or not) from one place to the other, until the sun had settled down again.

"Let's go back."

"I don't want to. We will go to the coast." They went to the coast, his spirit image throwing stones into the calm waves. creating tiny interruptions of the water's flow again and again. It had something silly and childlike to it, he ended up just watching it, silently taking in the changes.

"Where does the priest live?"

"I don't think that this town has-"

"I meant that vampire who stormed into the palace."

"Seto?"

"Whatever his name was. Where?"

Good question. He had nearly forgotten about this completely. "At the other side of the town, in another mansion, I think." One better and bigger, completely build in western style simply because he could. Ryou had been there once or twice, had always been surprised about all the detail it held to it.

_"Why do you want it bigger than the one we lived in before?"_

_"To shove it in his face that I can."_

"Why do you ask?"

"It does not matter to you."

Another stone hit the water and he continued to watch in silence.

"Do you miss your home, Bakura?"

It was met with silence as well at first, lasting long enough to dismiss the question all together already, then the other gave out a tired laugh. "There was never a home for me, boy. Not back then, not now. There is nothing to miss." A last stone was thrown into the water, then the white-haired turned to him, stood up. "Let's go back."

"We won't go through the town."

"If there is another way. I don't care."

They went back to the castle, his mirror image going to the first room he found in order to sleep once more. As Ryou watched him with the cup in his hand, because there wasn't anything better to do, he silently thought about how the envy was going in two ways. He wanted to sleep so badly right now, it was enough to drive one mad.


	2. Chapter 2

It happened faster than he was able to process, though he should have seen it coming with his eyes. It didn't take more than a second for the other to grab him, pull him close and feed on him. Had he reached for him while he had been staring at the page again? He hadn't even noticed it, not at all.

"You are making a habit out of it. Have you completely turned into my servant by now?"

No answer came, only the other's grip tightened, more and more until it hurt enough to make him wince. Was he trying to kill him this time? It seemed like it, and with how quickly the other was draining him, it wouldn't take very long. He closed his eyes, waited for the fatigue to set in already.

What would the other do once he was alone? Would he continue his life here? Probably not, this castle wasn't his home. And even if he had liked it at first, Seto wouldn't let him stay here, if he would let him stay alive at all.

Would the brown-haired be angry with him for dying? He had been angry with the silver-haired back then. Well, Seto was always angry, so it probably wouldn't add much to his scowl if he became angry over that too.

Ryou thought over it a few seconds more, before realization hit in, causing a smirk to go on his face, remaining there even when the other released him a moment later, let his body, incapable to move as it was, fall to the floor in graceless motion and remaining there, bleeding until the wound on his throat was finally closed again.

It remained silent, made him lose interest in asking what the other's plan was going to be now and just close his eyes again. The floor was really cold, tempting him into falling asleep, the numbing pain a simple but effective lullaby.

Sadly, he wasn't quite there yet, because when the laughter echoed through the room, it was clear to hear, not blurry at all.

"Can you move?"

He tried halfheartedly, suppressing a sigh. No chance, his limbs wouldn't react to his will. Who would have guessed. "I can't."

More laughter, he was grabbed by the hair, forced into a sitting position. "I think we already had this, hadn't we? Now what, do you think I should just let you lie here like the dirt you are?"

"Look who is talking."

The scowl that had been removed by the amused smirk tried to come back on his mirror image's face. But he wasn't smashed back to the floor in a fit of pettiness, was picked up and laid down on the still warm bed instead, whole body aching like it wanted to break. He had to suppress flinching when a blanket was placed over him, pressed his eyes together. A sneer was heard, and the hand found itself in his hair again, running trough it in unnecessary long circles.

"I could keep you here, you know? You unable to move is better for me anyway. I could force you to lay here for all the time, never letting you sleep. Take your blood and live your life, just as originally planned. And when your little pet human comes again, I will be the one who invites him in. It will be wonderful, don't you think?"

So that was the drive for this. Ryou almost would've laughed, had irritation and pain not taken over his tired mind. "Why wouldn't you let me sleep?"

"Because that would be what you wanted to do, don't you? Sleep like you're dead and only wake up to pretend you're not."

His head was patted just like last time, easy and calm, before the white-haired stood up, completely leaving the room with a chuckle like he wouldn't return soon with a whole new bunch of books to desperately search for answers in. Ryou sighed once the door closed, tried to reach his one hand in order to slit it open and bleed out some more.

Now that he already was in this state, going to sleep completely was the only way that pain would be worth it. Though he resignedly acknowledged after the first cut in his wrist nearly took him an hour at least, that this might take a lot longer than he would have want it to.

Indeed, very wonderful.

~...~

His "master" had passed out on blood-loss it seemed, successfully getting what he had seemed to had wanted so badly all this time.

Bakura put down the can he had brought, dropped the books to the ground sighing. So the boy was sleeping for good now, and his presence was still there, no sign of turning transparent. So far so good. He would test out how far he could move away from the other later, first, he needed to find reason as to why he was needing the other's blood in the first place, how to cut that and how to _stay_ completely in this time already.

Not that he really counted on finding anything in those bastards made with words, but drinking all the blood still felt fantastic. And in theory, as long as the vampire didn't get strong enough to get out of that bed, there was no need to worry about the consequences of his overreaction. It had been a reflex, a fight or flight reaction he couldn't control until it already happened. But it didn't matter. He could play it of as planned, as if he needed the other off the picture to find out more.

Not that he was worrying about it, he wasn't even considering being afraid of the one looking like him, Ryou was not active enough to do anything against loosing control over his whole body, even if his damn life depended on it. There was by far more reason to worry _for_ the one whose face he was wearing than there was to worry about what he would _do_.

And yet he couldn't forget the cold red eyes staring down at him as he was suffocating slowly, vanishing from existence more and more, falling asleep or waking up to them in cold terror. He wouldn't put up with this fear, no way. He was stronger, he was better, the other was at his mercy right now, could do nothing about it.

Vampires could summon servants.

He knew that much, why were these stupid books repeating them self? As if no matter what he read, the only information the books gave him was that the one who wrote them was someone he wanted to beat up very badly right now. He finished the books he had brought, left to get new ones, getting rid of the by now cold tea.

Why had he bothered with that in the first place? Maybe to mock the other, had he still been awake, that could be it.

He brought new one back with him, a cup too this time, settled down and continued to read. When summoning a servant who wasn't human, a vampire would offer their own blood in exchange. He had gotten the other's blood on that day. Had gotten it ever since, since it was the only reason why the servant could remain in the form he was in. If he would ever stop drinking it...

Did that mean that there was no way around this nonsense? Did he really need to remain by the other's side, no way to escape?

Not that he would need to escape, he was the stronger one, especially now. If he wanted to go somewhere, they would go there, regardless of what his "master's" opinion to the matter was.

Though it was still upsetting. Now he needed to make sure to not kill the vampire by accident. This was stupid. There was no way to return back to his real time either, once vanished from the now here, he would disappear forever, would never get anything done or settled.

"Your books are useless trash. I will burn them."

"You will do no such thing."

Huh? Oh, right, time had passed, hadn't it? Two days must have gone by at least while he had searched for information in these books. He stood up, poured the tea into the cup, handing it to the white-haired who took it as if his limbs weren't supposed to be completely useless at the moment. Quite the miracle indeed, huh?

"It's cold."

"I won't get a new one for you. Now drink, because after that I will make sure you fall asleep once more."

The vampire gulped the liquid down like it was something special, put the cup down himself instead of giving it to him, as if not trusting him to keep it in one piece. Fair enough, since this seemed to be the other's most well kept treasure, he wouldn't mock the need to try and keep safe what one could.

He grabbed the weak arm once the task was done, enjoying how easy it was to lift up. The whole body had been. This strength was really something else.

"Any last words, your highness?"

There were none, either because the vampire hadn't anything to say, or because he couldn't bother to voice it. The blood was even richer this time, flowing through him like it had always belonged there. Maybe it had. He shouldn't think over it too much, otherwise his mood would switch into wanting to vomit again, he couldn't have that at the moment, had to play his part, had to be his part.

It wouldn't do. He let go of the other's limb arm, moved back to the stupid books in silence, annoyance growing and growing. "Really", he uttered under his breath, clearly to hear, "I will burn them."

~...~

Time passed like this, more and more. He tested out how far he could go, had to stop once he had left the human town behind. Not that he begun to vanish again, no. But there seemed to be a pull that wasn't letting go of him, made him turn back again. He didn't mind that much. It was still far enough, he wouldn't need to worry about leaving the other alone again and having to return panicking like a abandoned dog.

He looked at the bypassing humans on his way, wondered if he should take one back to the palace for himself. Maybe two, so the other wouldn't just die. He could still remember the blood on his hands from the fools who had wanted to break into their home, could still remember how he had laughed over their pathetic screams. What had they expected, to be rewarded for trying to harm someone? Bakura hated a lot of things, and those might just be at the top of it. They hadn't been worth living on anyway.

One of the people was staring at him, likely short of approaching him at any moment. If they did, he would take them with him, if only to watch Ryou's disgusted face when he forced the blood down his throat. It was time for him to wake up again anyway. Would he be mad that there were neither sweets nor tea for him to drink? He probably would. Time to go then.

"Ey-"

"Save it, I lost interest in you."

And the blood of the vampire was better than that of stupid humans anyway. He bypassed the one he wanted to bring home, granted him the chance to live a little longer than that. It was fine, the promised scowl wasn't that interesting anyway. He went back, got the tea and those sweet sweet whatever they were, opening the door to the room with the ease of a well kept servant, amused smile growing when he saw the other.

Ryou wasn't lying on the bed, had moved to a seat by the window, reading through a book he had carefully separated from the rest of the pile.

"Well look at that. Would you like some tea, highness?"

"Is it warm this time?"

"Would it matter to you?"

He put the tablet with everything down at the other's feet, waited. Would he be able to just reach down like that, move without any problem at all? Ryou got out of his seat, settled down on the floor, abandoning his book in favor of having both hands free. Bakura watched him eat and drink like he had all the time in the world. Which was true, perhaps.

"And? Have you found what you've been searching for so desperately?"

"This timeline is complete shit. Everything here is stupid."

He sat down on the seat the other had abandoned, looked down at him with a grin. "And of all this here, I hate you the most, out of the deepest part of my soul."

"Do you now? I usually make that face when I'm lying-"

"Shut up."

He grabbed him by the hair, ruffled through it like one would do with a dog, making him spill the tea. "My, did that burn? You're so weak now a days, I'm actually afraid to hurt you."

He still despised what he had become, still despised that the ring had gone mute and that there seemed no way to get the voice in his head back. But the new power, he liked. Being strong like this was really nice. The vampire was about to say something to answer that and probably ruin his mood with that, when his head snapped towards the door, fixated on it like a damn cat.

"Malik is here."

"Wonderful. I'm going to greet him then, alright?"

He stood up again, left the other on the floor where he sat, ignoring any further words that were spoken. Finally, it was time that the human showed up again.

He passed through the hallways, searching for the silent footsteps he could hear, way better than last time, because he was finally fully set. It didn't take long to find him, the human hadn't even come further than the front door, standing around clenching his coat like a lifeline, feet refusing to go any further. (Was he smelling the blood the other humans had lost while being slaughtered?) He wasn't as stupid as he looked then at least. And he wasn't dump either, didn't even try to run once their eyes met.

"I'm not here for you."

Of course he wasn't. "You are here because of this." He threw the bag with the coins down at the other's feet, watched violet eyes widen, arm twitching as if it wanted to reach out and grab it. He didn't though, forced himself to remain standing. "I already told you that I don't know anything about you. Where is Ryou-sama?"

"Sleeping safe and soundly in his bed until I see fit to release him again." He stepped closer, bypassing the shining coins on the floor, steps as quiet as always.

For a moment, there was anger, clearly to see in the human's face, strong enough to count with an attack, before it turned into shame, ending in pure guilt.

"...I see. Then what are you going to do now?"

Was the other going to cry at any moment? He had thought the human was just a stupid, desperate soul, not that Ryou's stupid fascination with this one here was actually going _both_ ways. That... made messing around far more boring, really. "I don't know. Maybe I will start my new freedom by killing you, before searching around in town for the people you know so that I can kill them too, your family, your friends. What would you suggest, human?"

Or not quite a human, now that he bothered to look. Had the other gotten taller than before? How much time had passed for that to happen? He hadn't paid that much attention, and it probably didn't matter that much anyway.

"I would suggest that you start talking, or I might decide for you."

"Where is Ryou-sama?"

Was that blood lust? Was the other really going to attack him? He wanted to, wanted to look at him while he broke his bones one by one for the sheer audacity, to watch as those eyes that reminded him of the ones he used to have would slowly lose all the fight in them, only get completely void of life with every passing moment.

But that might make Ryou angry enough to do something careless and stupid. And Ryou would need blood soon, he wouldn't risk the vampire dying. So he just dismissed the implied threat, pointing behind.

"Want to search for him?"

A nod. Of course, a nod, no hesitation at all. God, this was boring.

~...~

The white-haired had just ~~(finally)~~ gotten up to his feet when the door busted open and something jumped at him, brought him to the ground again with a shallow sound. Arms were wrapped around him tightly, refusing to let go at all, even when he told the owner slowly that everything was alright.

"Like hell it is! You look horrible! And just because I couldn't keep my stupid mouth shut, because I had to tell you to leave the castle for a while - and now you have this monster wearing your face!"

The shouting human seemed like he was close to tears, confused him and made him feel guilty for some odd reason. What was he supposed to do now? Had Mokuba ever cried?

"It's alright-"

"Shut up, it's not! How much blood do you need to fix that, I'm so sorry."

He was lifted up and away from the blonde, sat down on the bed again. "Try not to break his bones, will you? They bend easily right now."

"Because of you!"

Malik handled him his right arm to drink like last time, like every time before that. He wanted to go for the throat, this time, had to pause to not forget himself. And once he had his fill of blood, stopping at the same time as always was even harder. At this rate he would-

No way, he wouldn't be able to. He moved one arm, signaling the other one to rip him away from the food source. It was met with laughter, but shortly after the now unconscious boy was dragged away from him, carefully placed down on the bed as he made his best attempt to get away as far as possible. What had he been thinking, to just take that stupid arm? Was the blonde tired of his human life?

He sighed, wiped away the blood from his face as the other laughed even more.

"Even your own dog tells you to shut up, Ryou."

He ignored it, bit into his finger in order to get the healing blood. It wasn't an issue to have taken too much, that he could heal. Nearly killing the other was a different story. A complete different one. He had been lucky this time.

"Have you talked to him?"

"He was too busy wanting to rip my throat out. I will continue once he is awake again. Or do you want to continue feeding then, your highness?"

"Absolutely not." The wound was healing just like always, the rising of the other's chest went back to normal. Good. This had been a close one, maybe he should stop with this already.

"Why didn't you kill him? You are still way too low on blood and I don't plan stopping to drink from you."

He slapped away the hand that wanted to touch his hair with ease, dodged when the other wanted to grab him again.

"I didn't, because I didn't want to. It's as simple as that."

It had been nice to sleep for a while, even if the way to it had been painful as hell. Now, whatever anger he had would have to wait until the human was gone. Not that he thought the other not-quite-vampire would even consider to do any harm, but he wouldn't be able to stay clear-headed once more.

"How boring."

They waited until the lying figure started to move again, sitting up at last, eyes wide in confusion over the situation. "What happened?"

" _You_ are a stupid _fool_ , that's what happened." He drank up the tea in order to not say anything else. It just earned laughter in the end, the blonde let himself fall back into the sheets, made no move of getting up and leaving.

"Was I now? Ey, mirror-face, what do you want to know again?"

"Call me that one more time and I will make sure your face will look just like mine."

Questions were asked, answers demanded, but they didn't seem to get the other white-haired anywhere with what he wanted to find out. Apparently the hidden temple had been there since Malik's family could remember, served as a reminder to not forget about their long forgotten duty as someone they didn't know would need this temple to stay where it was. It didn't make much sense, but it was a nice story none the less, made him calm down a bit.

When there were no more question that could be asked, the human left, not without sending a last glare at the one waving him out with a wide grin.

"What a loyal dog. Why haven't you turned _him_ into your servant yet?"

"He has his own life."

"He should've just taken you along then. I doubt that you would move anywhere once placed down somewhere within the reach of tea. Now come here, I'm thirsty again."

"I'm not coming. Move if you want to drink."

The other laughed, moved to grab him and pull him along, but he was faster, used the low guard of the other to bring him closer, before biting down again. It had already been some time since the last time, enough to forget that this blood wasn't supposed to be drunken at all. The other wasn't a blood source to feed on, doing this regularly would make him fall back to sleep again for sure.

He didn't stop, continued, ignoring the other's complains - though it was rather funny how shocked he was about being frozen in place - until there were no more and the burning inside him got smaller, small enough to finally stop.

He put the other onto the bed he had lied in all the time, looked him into the eyes. He shouldn't, it wasn't fair like that. He couldn't stop himself.

"Can you move?"

There was no response, only red eyes that were staring at him, not leaving him even when he begun to move away, turn around. He suppressed the upcoming smirk, lifted up the tablet in order to sit down in the seat near the window again. "Are you scared? You're so silent."

"You're not silent enough." It lacked the usual bite, sounded bitter and beaten. A complete defeat then. Fine enough. He stood up, was about to leave in order to get new tea, was held back by the panicked noise, helplessly suppressed by a pillow.

"What? I'm not leaving you here, calm down."

He got his tea, ignored how the other visible relaxed when he returned again. It was strange to think about, but that didn't matter.

"Is that your way of pay back? To keep me here just like I did? Do you think this is funny?"

"You have read through the blue book already, haven't you?" No answer came, but he continued anyway, calm and slow. "I don't need to take your blood to make you unable to move, no matter how much stronger than me you will become. Because you live by my blood, I could tell you at any time, Bakura."

Maybe it wasn't that simple, but it came close enough. The other laughed, though it sounded forced and fake. "So what now? Am I excused after this? Are you going to punish me like a true master would?"

"Do you want to move again? I didn't mean to scare you, I was simply putting you out of the way, because you were annoying."

"Why would you do that instead of telling me to stop then?!"

"It was easier."

"You didn't mean to my ass."

But if that was the only reaction he got out of this, he didn't want it, this face the other made didn't belong there when their eyes met. It wasn't supposed to. Who was scared of one's own self?

"Hold still, I will give you blood."

"Are you taking pity on me?"

"I was never angry. Do you want to move? Or do you want to sleep and wait until the problem fixes itself again? ."

"Shut up."

~...~

The blood was there, right in front of him, dripping down and filling the room just like in the beginning. But before he could drink it, the arm stopped, right next to him, and yet so far out of reach.

"How did you end up in that stone?"

What a god the other was indeed, looking down on him without doing anything. Bakura wanted to spit on him, but he also wanted to be able to move again, couldn't deal with the panic, wanted to reach for the ring, wanted to run, to curse, to get away.

"Why wait with that until now?", he tried anyway, despite risking that the other would finally show his true face, get angry, decide to let him remain like that, "If you would've really wanted to know, you could have forced me to talk all the time over."

As answer he got the blood, drank eagerly, the feeling familiar, shame and need dancing around like a contest, whispering to him in a mockery imitation of that voice. He could move again soon after, the blood healing anything that was wrong with his still somewhat living body. He wanted to grab the arm, but didn't want to risk it, not again.

"I guess you are right. But it isn't my story to know until you tell me. So tell me."

"I don't remember the reason. It wasn't a memory that was important to hold on to during my stay in the ring."

Not that much was actually. But still enough to want to get rid of them as well completely. The vampire nodded to that, stepped away. It became silent in the room again, the taste in his mouth wanting him to feel miserable no matter about what he was thinking in the end.

"Do you want to cut the connection? Between us? Who knows, maybe you might get your own body back again."

"You know how it works?"

He looked up, couldn't believe it. He had spent months, seasons with searching for the answer, only for the other to have it all the damn time over! A nod. He gave up, shook his head.

"You know what, just forget it. Knowing you, it would involve killing you off completely. Stop smirking."

Ryou tried, but failed at it, couldn't repress the creature he was - if he even wanted to. Maybe killing him would work. But if not, then he would kill himself with that as well. Besides, even after all this time, he had still no idea what the hell he should do now, losing the only connection he had with this time and land wouldn't be worth it, just wouldn't be.

"Besides, I already told you that you were mine from the moment you summoned me. I don't care what you are."

_You wouldn't be the first god I would have spat into the face anyway._

"So what is it gonna be from now on? Will we just continue with this here until the end of time? Won't you go insane over it slowly?"

Maybe for the first time since he had looked at him, the other's eyes widened in confusion, clearly visible, for everyone to see. So many emotions were crossing through at the same second, like someone had busted a hole into a dam, destroying the image of a god and only leaving behind an insecure little human, not even able to answer a simple question.

Time passed without somebody saying something, and Bakura was about to push further, when he heard the main door bust open violently once again, if not breaking completely this time.

"Ryou! Where are you? Time to pack, Seto has decided to make you move!"

Whoever was shouting, he was being far too cheerful to fit with anyone of the people the white-haired had interacted with yet. _Seto_. Seto was the one with the face of the priest, right? Then who-

The door to their room was busted open as well a moment later, indeed broke under the pressure, a part shattering into many tiny pieces, as a young man entered, a large smile on his face, beaming with energy and life that had no business inside these all draining walls. Bakura was about to ask who the hell this one was, when his hands were grabbed and the taller one pulled him off of the bed, spun him around with ease like it was nothing, giggling stupidly, clearly in a wonderful mood.

"I mean, I saw him last time three years ago, but he really does look just like you, Ryou. Have you thought about playing dress-up yet? Or pranks on the people in town? It would be hilarious, don't you think?"

"...It's nice to see you again, Mokuba. What have you said about... about..." The vampire didn't seem to be able to actually voice it, and if Bakura hadn't been too busy with wanting to rip out the other's throat (was that a vampire too? He couldn't tell), he would have laughed over the poor attempt the boy was making right now.

The black-haired released him in order to hug the other, spinning him around as well.

"About you leaving? You're going to move in with us from today on, because Seto has no other friends and I'm going to move to Europe in about a month."

What the hell was Europe now? Was that on the island here as well?

"...Don't talk bad over your brother like that. It's not fair-"

"He has also decided to tear down this castle. It will be completely destroyed in about a week from now on."

"He... did what?"

Ryou and the new one continued, and he finally got to see what anger looked like on his face, anger in its purest form, ready to act out at any time. And yet it was only met with cheerful laughter and teasing.

"If you want to change that, you will have to speak with him yourself. So hurry up and pack, I will join you on your way home."

"Pegasus wouldn't want-"

"Seto has already gotten the permission from his ghost. Right, I was supposed to greet you from him, he is enjoying his peaceful rest."

"Oh. I see. I will have to pack then-"

"Hell no, the cups are staying here."

He had finally caught himself again, moved to drag the white-haired away from the intruder, out of reach. "Why should they? That makes no sense-" "I don't care. If we are leaving, then there is no way those damn things move along as well."

Why were they even entitled to the stupid priest's mood swings? But he would comply this time, wanted to know what this other place was and if it had any connections to where he came from. He waited for complains, but the white-haired only nodded slowly.

"...Fine. Then there would be nothing to pack."

"God, you sound sad, you know? This place must have eaten away any life force you had left over the time. Well then, off we go!"

The black haired moved, and like a pair of little stupid sheep, they followed along, meek and silent. The palace they left behind seemed to lose all light it had to it, until it was nothing but a ruin, where no one had lived in since quite some time.

In the end, they both had been surrounded by stone, huh?

~...~

The palace of the priest was even bigger than the one they had been in before, but instead of quietly letting one take in the actual size like in the last one, this here was basically throwing everything in his face, big and arrogant, as if it wanted him to feel small. The doors were opened for them by human servants, dressed all the same, revealing even more rooms to use and get lost in. The black-haired walked inside, feeling completely at home in all of this, wasting no time to shout for the other, loud and shrill.

And the other didn't take long to appear before them, as if he had been waiting behind some corner all the time like a child.

"So you kept your pet."

"Servant. Why do you want to tear down his castle?"

"Because I can, the whole town belongs to me anyway. And this way you won't get to return because living with humans that aren't yours scares you."

"That's not really mature."

"Says the favorite ghost-story of my city. Entertain Mokuba now, I want to talk to your duplicate for a while."

Ryou seemed like he wanted to say something to that, but when the one from before grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him along, every complaint seemed to disappear, body relaxing as if falling back into a long forgotten, but familiar pattern. It left him alone with the priest-look-alike, who watched him like he was nothing but dirt under someones shoe.

Yes, that face he hadn't forgotten either, the need to grab the ring clashing with the one that wanted to attack the other right here, take back the blood he was owed, the blood that was stolen from him.

"If you turn out to be of any trouble, I will get rid of you myself. I don't care from where he picked you up, if needed be I will send you back to hell itself. Do you understand?"

He even was still speaking like the other had, looked down at him just like the other had. Threatening his very existence without even bothering to look him in the eyes.

But he forced down the overbearing anger, because as much as he wanted to act out right now, he could use the other better if he stayed calm. He would use him, use everything he could. (And Ryou would get mad about it otherwise perhaps, not that he cared.)

So he forced a smirk on his face instead, bowed in mockery before the other. "But of course I do."

"Then that will be all. You may go."

"I'm not done yet."

"I don't care."

Priest-face turned around dramatically and stepped away with that, leaving him in the hallway. The white-haired didn't ask more, just silently followed the noise coming closer and closer to Ryou and that other one. So they would stay here from now on, how wonderful. He would figure out how to come back to the place he lived in once, to make sure the one he hated wouldn't be able to return ever again. Never.

Until then, he might as well stay at the other's side.

It would help to keep the boredom at bay at least.

(And he might have already gotten addicted to the blood. Who would have been able to tell anyway.)

He opened the door to the room where the other two were. The vampire wanted to say something, but he told him to shut up, joining them in their stupid table game despite his better judgment.

**Author's Note:**

> How I want to write vampires: Mysterious, cruel and charismatic.
> 
> How I end up writing them: low-key suicidal, college student vibes of depression, having been done with this shit 200 years ago. Well, and whatever the Kaibas are.
> 
> And if you think that Pegasus kept on haunting Seto's mansion for at least half a year after being summoned just to annoy him - you would be right.


End file.
